


'Cause You Are The Reason My Head Is Still Above Water

by xLoveMx



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Widojest - Freeform, because we deserve a second waltz, spoilers for 118, there's some dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:13:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27965117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xLoveMx/pseuds/xLoveMx
Summary: For a moment Jester was simply looking up at him, her heart beating so fast against her ribcage that she was afraid he was going to hear it, and then, without a few seconds, the pieces of the puzzle she had been trying to solve these last few weeks clicked into place.
Relationships: Jester Lavorre/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 15
Kudos: 87





	'Cause You Are The Reason My Head Is Still Above Water

**Author's Note:**

> Because we all need some fluff after last week's episode!  
> Enjoy! <3

Jester had really been trying to go to sleep, but the wheels in her head simply wouldn’t stop turning. She hadn’t excepted Fjord to approach her, let alone tell her that he cared about her, and the kiss, even though she had agreed to it in the heat of the moment, seemed like something that had happened to someone else, not her.

A few months ago, she would have given everything to be kissed by him, feel his hands against her cheeks as he bent down to press his lips against hers...but weren’t kisses supposed to feel different? Surely, she had learned that romance wasn’t like the things she had read in books, but Jester had expected fireworks and goosebumps, and yet the only thing she had felt was an accomplishment of some sort. This was what she had wanted, and she had gotten it, but things had changed, and so had she. She had gotten tired of waiting, and now that he had come around, it felt like the timing was off.

Huffing out a sigh, Jester eventually found herself wandering into the library, where the ever-crackling fire illuminated the room. Part of her still couldn’t believe that Caleb had read all these books, but then again, he was wickedly smart and if anyone knew what was in these books then it was him. She briefly wondered if there were more Zemnian fairytales in here, her fingers running over the spines of books as she tried to find the somewhat unfamiliar language. She knew a few words by now, having tried to translate them from the book that she had moved from her fireside to her bedside table so she could look at it before bed. It was a wonderful story, and the fact that Caleb had translated it just for her, made her stomach swoop.

“Can’t sleep?” A familiar voice caused her to stop, and when she glanced back over her shoulder Caleb was right there, a soft smile on his face.

“It’s been a long day. Lots of things happened.” Jester wasn’t even sure what she was referring to in particular, but everything seemed to just have added up. It wasn’t even the fact that she seemed to have aged a few years. It had felt weird in the beginning, but she was still the same person, just with longer horns and more pronounced cheekbones and besides, it had given them at least a small advantage over Lucien and the rest of the Tomb Takers.

“How are you doing?” Caleb had approached her, the sleeves of his longarm shirt rolled up and his hair loosely tied into a ponytail. It was such a casual look, but somehow it suited him so well, and Jester needed a moment to focus.

“Good, I think?” She then replied, watching as he tilted his head ever so slightly. She had never been able to keep things hidden from Caleb, and she wasn’t even entirely sure why. He was smart, yes, but he just had a way of seeing right through those walls she had built up around herself, and even though it had been scary at first, she had found that it was comforting to have someone actually see her for who she was, including all her fears and flaws, and to like her regardless. “I mean...it’s all a lot, but I think it’s going to be okay.” Neither of them really had any idea what they were looking for, or how to stop Lucien, but they had often been in situations that had felt hopeless, and in the end, everything had turned out fine. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”

She glanced up at him as he seemed to take a moment to respond, before shaking his head slowly. “Just...a lot things on my mind, too.” There was another moment where he seemed to consider what to say next, but before Jester could ask, Caleb had continued, “Can I show you something?”

Jester nodded before he even had a chance to say anything else, her eagerness causing him to smile as he motioned for her to follow him and before long, they had floated down a floor and found themselves in front of one of the huge sliding doors. “Close your eyes,” Jester almost pouted, which made Caleb laugh in return, “It’s a surprise,” He then added, watching as she eventually complied and let her eyes fall shut.

She heard the sliding doors open and then there was some muttering, before Caleb was suddenly close enough for her to feel his presence in front of her. “Alright, just keep them close and follow me,” Jester’s heart stumbled just a bit as she felt his hands taking hers, the both of them slowly moving towards the direction of the room. She could heart faint, almost muffled noises and music playing in the background that sounded vaguely familiar. “Alright, _warte. Einen Moment noch_.” Jester was shuffling from one foot to another, almost complaining when Caleb let go of her hands, but then thinking better of it. She heard him mutter some more words, and suddenly she could feel her heart beating faster inside her chest.

“Okay, now you can open them.” His voice pulled Jester from her through and she slowly opened her eyes, taking in the scenery around them. It was the familiar scene of a tavern, complete with the illusions of people sitting at tables, drinking and having conversations. There was a soft waltz playing in the background, and when she turned her attention upwards, there was no ceiling, but an endless sky of stars, complete with the occasional firework going off.

“I was practicing a little bit,” Caleb chuckled, and Jester’s eyes were drawn to him once more where he stood in the middle of the room, one hand extended towards her. “May I have this dance?”

She had taken his hand before he had even finished the question, feeling herself being pulled against his chest. There was a shiver running down her spine when his arm wrapped around her waist and Jester, much to her own surprise, realized that she was blushing as she looked up at him.

“Yeah. In case that wasn’t clear...” She then muttered, feeling herself being drawn in by his eyes, and it occurred to her that they were always looking at each other. She had grown accustomed to watching him, partly because she was fascinated by the way he did his magic, but also because he was always there to reassure her. Whenever she was in doubt, sometimes even without even knowing it herself, she looked to Caleb and he was right there to reassure her, and she wanted to do the same for him, too. Quietly watching and checking in on him, to the extent that she didn’t remember much about their last trip to Rexxentrum, because she had been so focused on Caleb.

They were slowly beginning to sway to the music, and before long Caleb was leading her around the room, making her chuckle. “So you do know how to waltz,” She remarked, which caused him to laugh in return.

“It’s easy with the right person,” He then replied, causing Jester’s stomach to swoop once more. She had felt like that around Caleb a lot lately. He had ways of making her smile and whenever she called, he was there. Hell, he was even there before she could ask, standing beside her and supporting her in whatever it was she was going to do. It felt like he simply understood her, knowing what she needed when maybe she wasn’t even so sure about that herself.

“Yeah,” She managed, her voice shaking just a little as he spun her around. “We’ve come quite far since Hupperdook, huh?”

Caleb’s lips curved into another soft smile and he nodded, his eyes only briefly wandering towards the illusion around them, before focusing back on her. “You knew nothing about me back then, and yet you chose to be kind. That’s something I can’t thank you enough for,”

For a moment Jester was simply looking up at him, her heart beating so fast against her ribcage that she was afraid he was going to hear it, and then, within a few seconds, the pieces of the puzzle she had been trying to solve these last few weeks clicked into place. It all made sense right there and then, the way she had been drawn to him, and how the kiss she had been hoping for months ago hadn’t lived up to its expectations, and it almost knocked the air out of her lungs.

“You...you don’t do this for everyone, right?” She then whispered, looking around the room, “Because...because I have to know and...” Jester trailed off as they came to a stop, fireworks still going off above them and reflecting in both their eyes.

“No.” He then replied, and suddenly he was even closer, leaning down ever so slightly. “It’s all for you. I’d get you the moon if you asked,” And it took Jester a moment to realize that he had stopped moving, his eyes silently searching hers for permission she was happy to give. In fact, she found herself wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him down, their lips brushing against each other as both the fireworks above them, and the metaphorical ones in her stomach, exploded.

It was everything Jester had always expected from a kiss, the way she wanted to pull him even closer, her head spinning just a little bit as the world around the seemed to fade away. She wasn’t even sure how long they had kissed, only that her cheeks were burning when they pulled away, Caleb’s smile bright and warm, matching her own.

“You already did, you know?” She then whispered, a small chuckle escaping from her lips as she found Caleb looking down at her with a slightly confused look in his eyes. “Got me the moon,” Jester then added, and he was still chuckling when she pulled him down for another kiss.


End file.
